yvesvidal

Interesting thread. Welcome to the Giant models!!! Yves

Looking great. Any way you can push out the rear wheels, so that they fill up the wells entirely? Ideally, you would want the rear tire flanges to be flush with the fender extensions. Yves

That water is just gorgeous. The ship is perfectly displayed and it makes for a wonderful ensemble. Yves

Yes, these bits are very expensive and most likely not replaced on a regular basis, in the CNC machines. It is unfortunate. Yves

I do not dress at Big and Tall 😀. I am only 5 feet 10 inches, 61 years old and 177 pounds. The model is quite large, on the other hand as you can see.... and heavy too! Yves

Still waiting for my professional photographer to show up.... I think it will not happen, as he is probably hiding in his basement.... Anyway, I wanted to look quickly and very superficially at the cost of building such a model. We will assume you already are in possession of a bunch of tools, including a Dremel hand machine with a nice set of bits. The kit itself is around $450, the RCSubs PE sets add another $270-300 depending on how far you are going, $50 in glues of all kinds, $100 in paints (The Humbrol paints coming from Europe to paint the hull and deck cost me close to $50), LEDs (close to 50), electric motors and many yards of very thin electric wires, the stand made of wood and brass tubes, switches and many little things here and there. We are probably not far or slightly above one grand. Even more if you start buying books and DVDs on that subject..... But when you look at the time it takes to build such model, it is no more than $3 per day which is less expensive than beer or tobacco. We all know that the cost of our passion is no object and as such should be disregarded. I have immensely enjoyed building this model and being able to present it to you readers and enthusiasts. I have to confess that your support and encouragements have been my fuel to continue through that, at times, difficult endeavor. In retrospect, I just cannot believe that this thread was visited close to 80,000 times over a period of 16 months. Thus, to conclude that Build Log, let me offer you some last pictures of the model and of the real thing. I simply hope the model will not terminate like the real submersible.... Although it is not completely clear how U-552 finished its days, I think it was scuttled before the Allies could take possession of it in one of the Brittany ports in 1945. Yves

You did the best that could be done. I can't believe Heller would have screwed up so well, the distance between the axles. My gosh, what a bunch of amateurs. Yves

I really like the parts being CNC routed, instead of laser cut. It makes for an incredible difference at the end of the day, both in appearance and saved time. Yves

You did a beautiful model out of a difficult kit. Congratulations. Yves

You should be a jeweler. Great work. Yves

Superb paint job. Maybe a tad too shinny for such an old model, as clear coat did not exist. Yves

Yes, it is true that having one side with ceilings and the other side without, can be very misleading and will offset all your hard work at lining up. I agree with your approach of building in the hull directly, and perhaps simplifying some of the inner decks. Yves

What a beautiful model. Yves

Yes, you need some medications. I suggest Tamiya and Ambroid liquid glue, inhaled with moderation. Do not forget an ointment of Tamiya anti-fouling red paint on your forehead, before going to bed. Great display. I cannot wait to see them built in the Forum. Yves

Very nice work with the PEs. Very clean and precise. What glue do you use? Yves

Very interesting project. I will be following. Yves

Well, it looks like Takom will be releasing two interesting kits in the scale of 1/72nd: https://www.themodellingnews.com/2020/07/previewtakoms-72nd-scale-battleship.html Yves

Fantastic work on the torpedo tubes. Your model is coming along nicely and is very impressive. Yves

This is going to be another masterpiece. Yves

SardonicMeow, You should offer a special add-on kit to the Model Shipways kit, with all the parts printed in 3D. The original kit would benefit greatly, from these very nice improvements that you are adding to your model. Yves

A touch of deconstruction is always a nice thing, for satisfaction! Yves

Sometimes, "perfection" is the ennemy of "great". From a foot away, your model looks terrific. Yves

I am pulling a chair to admire your work. This is going to be very exciting. Yves

The weathering of the wood and decks, is superb. Yves

Chris better start warming up his wood cutting laser.... He is going to be busy very soon!! Yves